Abilio plans to take Timor abuses to ICJ<\/p>\n
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Former East Timor governor Abilio Soares has threatened to bring
\nhuman rights abuses in the territory in 1999 to the International
\nCourt of Justice (ICG) if forced to serve a three-year jail term.<\/p>\n
Abilio said he has been made a scapegoat to protect certain
\nindividuals responsible for security in the former Indonesian
\nprovince.<\/p>\n
\"The guilty verdict issued by the Supreme Court shocked me as
\nI was hoping to find justice here in Indonesia. If I am forced to
\nserve the jail term, I will bring the case to the International
\nCourt of Justice,\" he said here on Friday.<\/p>\n
Abilio, accompanied by lawyer O.C. Kaligis, said he would take
\nthose legal steps still available to him to avoid jail.<\/p>\n
\"Once I receive a copy of the verdict, I will do anything to
\navoid the punishment,\" he said.<\/p>\n
According to the law, once a defendant's sentence has been
\nupheld by the Supreme Court, he or she can apply for presidential
\nclemency or request a judicial review.<\/p>\n
The Supreme Court upheld the three-year jail term given to
\nAbilio by an ad hoc rights tribunal. The former governor was
\nconvicted of failing to prevent violence in East Timor ahead of,
\nduring and after the territory's independence referendum in 1999.<\/p>\n
Abilio is one of 17 civilians, police officers and military
\nsoldiers brought to trial for the violence in East Timor in 1999,
\nwhen dozens of independence supporters were killed and almost 80
\npercent of the territory's infrastructure was destroyed.<\/p>\n
Earlier, the Supreme Court cleared one former police officer
\nand two military soldiers of human rights abuses. Other
\ndefendants were either acquitted or given light sentences, though
\nthose defendants found guilty remain free pending appeal.<\/p>\n
Abilio said he should not be held responsible for the
\nbreakdown of peace and security in East Timor because he was no
\nlonger in charge when the violence occurred.<\/p>\n
\"I do not understand why I should be held responsible for the
\nviolence in the province since I no longer had any power as
\ngovernor after the signing of the May tripartite agreement,\" said
\nAbilio, referring to an agreement that stipulated that all
\nadministrative matters fell under the supervision of the UN
\nMission in East Timor.<\/p>\n
\"If the court blames me for failing to maintain security
\nduring, before and after the ballot, it should be understood that
\nthe same agreement stipulates that the police, backed by the
\nmilitary, were responsible for security in the territory,\" said
\nAbilio, while joking that he planned to flee Jakarta as soon as
\npossible.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/abilio-plans-to-take-timor-abuses-to-icj-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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